Abram Eric Landes

Hi! I am Abe, and I am a photographer lucky enough to be working in the Washington, D.C. area. Cityscapes, rolling mountains, wineries, riversides, history, Capitol Hill... Everything is here!

Photographing weddings is not just my job: it is something I find immensely rewarding and challenging at the same time. There are always small and special moments happening between the big moments on the wedding day. The challenge is finding the right mix of premonition, preparation, and luck to capture a story that not only shows the height of those huge wedding day moments, but also the depth of emotion and interactions between the guests, families, and the happy couple.

I love the photojournalistic approach for wedding photography, as this approach was imparted on me when I worked as an editor for two wildlife photographers at the start of my career. Looking through hundreds of thousands of slides of the raw beauty of each continents' animals made me appreciate how these two photographers could tell a story without necessarily directing the action. They were in charge of the camera, the composition, lighting direction, and doing the work necessary to be in the right place at the right time for an incredible photograph.

Now, over the past ten years as a wedding photographer, I have since learned how to pose couples, direct large crowds of wedding revelers, and 'enable the fun' in the right lighting. But the backbone of my work and why my clients hire me is for my candid images that are flatter the subject and tell the story.

So, based on a few of my experiences, here are things I will gladly do during your wedding day:

- I will get into a barnyard with a ornery donkey and crazy horse to pose you with said horse
- I will submerge my camera underwater to get photos of you two scuba diving with your wedding clothes on
- I will help your two drunk wandering wedding guests back to the reception, despite being a few miles from the reception
- I will get stranded overnight on the side of a mountain in Boulder with your rock-climbing wedding party
- I will let the flower girl dump her basket of petals on me and laugh at me during the processional
- If dogs are present, I will rile them up for some unexpected memorable moments
- I will go to the middle of Greece for your storybook wedding in a small fishing village
- And I will go to the very middle of China for an amazing traditional wedding ceremony in a giant city filled with delicious food.

4 Awards for Documentary Wedding Photography

Photographer's Comment

The poor groom! A hot August wedding in Virginia is HOT, especially when you come inside from doing portraits and get thrown into the madness of a wedding reception's garter belt and bouquet toss right away. He was genuine in his gesture, not showing off for the guests or camera right above his bride.
I am challenging myself with better and different ways to shoot the wedding reception traditions, and sometime getting a new perspective is just one element of making that happen.

Photographer's Comment

I always am on the hunt for symmetry when photographing weddings for several reasons. It can shock the viewers eye and forces them to slow down, especially when looking through a collection of wedding images. It can control the story in an image and lead the eyes through it, much like elements of visual contrast or the relationship between focus and bokeh. My eyes go right to the elements in out-of-symmetrical-order, as it's definitely a thrill when I get to build visual order and develop a good tension in an image.
When I turned around from photographing all the group portrait shots and saw the little lady taking a rest perfectly in the middle of our set, I just couldn't believe how well everything came together visually. I took my time to frame it "just so", and a moment later she was up and away.

Photographer's Comment

Cutting the Cake. It began as a polite interaction between the newlywed trouble-makers, but for the record - she started it.
As a wedding photographer who also covers extreme sports, it is always important to be ready and react to situations as they unfold. I enjoy being close to the action but not in the way of it, and always having the right settings/equipment to make the picture right is my priority. In this case, I needed to have a speed-light and be in manual metering mode to create a properly exposed image, since the tent was much darker than the outdoor scene behind them. This is still one of my favorite wedding photographs (and weddings that I have had the pleasure of photographing!) since the whole day was filled with fun and lively characters that kept me moving.

Judges

Another classic cake in the face moment. Nice execution.

Here's a fun photo from a scene that can often go awkwardly awry. I've seen hundreds of "cake stuffing" images but I can't recall any that I liked as much as this. Perhaps it's because their faces are somewhat obscured, creating a moment that becomes more iconic than isolated in the event. Maybe it's the shutter speed capturing the chunks of chocolate cake falling from the playfulness of the scene. Maybe it's the light and composition of the image that fills the frame in a way that accentuates the moment. Or perhaps it's simply a great photo where everything works together at once. Whatever it is.. from background to foreground, the image "works."

1 TOP Wedding Photographer Titles

The WPJA proudly recognizes Abram Eric Landes as a TOP International Wedding Photographer. Members holding the most contest points at the end of each year are ranked as TOP Wedding Photographers or, in some cases POY - Photographer of the Year.

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Family Photojournalist Association, an organization devoted to accrediting and promoting the expertise of family photographers who deploy still-photography reportage and documentary authenticity to tell the story of the family.

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Lifestyle Photographers Association members will work with you and all subjects to help stage your interactions and direct you throughout the photography session. This level of involvement allows the photographer to deliver the best lifestyle portraits.